Double deck food serving unit



Dec. 9, 1958 v CAHN DOUBLE DECK FOOD SERVING UNIT 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledApril 18, 1957 INVENTOR. ROBERT L. CAHN w\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\wi I 5 R. L. CAHN Dec. 9, 1958 I DOUBLE DECK FOOD SERVING UNIT FiledApril 18, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. ROBERT L CAHN BY Dec. 9, 1958R. CAHN DOUBLE DECK FOOD SERVING UNIT 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 18,1957 V R m w W.

ROBERT L. CAHN ATTORNEY United States Patent O 2,863,708 DOUBLE DECKFool) SERVING UNIT Robert Cahn, Rockville Centre, N. Y. ApplicationApril is, 1957, Serial No. 653,638 1 Claim. or. 312-236) In restaurants,lunchrooms, and similar establishments, it is conventional practice toutilize a serving unit. Some of these are adapted for heating food, andothers for refrigeratlng food. Conventionally, a structure of this typehas a single food-pan-receivingrecess, or alternatively, a plurality. ofsuch recesses in a common plane. This is true, for example, in the caseof a steam table. Means is generally provided for covering one or moreof the food-pan-receiving recesses of the unit.

Ordinarily, a serving unit of the type described has a relativelylimited capacity, as regards the number of different foods that can besupported in the mentioned space while being maintained in the properlyheated, or perhaps in a refrigerated, condition. As a result, where itis desired .to maintain in readily accessible positions trays holdingmore foods than can be normally accommodated in said space, it is commonpractice to haphazardly locate additional small trays in superposedrelation to those already properly supported. This, of course, 'cartiesthe danger of spoilage of the food, since it is not subjected to a fullheating or refrigerating action. Further, the worker cannot operate withfull efiiciency in these circumstances, since some of the additionaltrays may fully or partially cover those that are already properlysupported in the device.

In view of the above, it is the broad object of the present invention toso form a serving unit as to provide for the support of a substantialnumber of additional food holding trays, through the provision of anupper deck including one or more recesses in whichfood pans may besupported.

It is another object to so design the structure that the pans supportedin the upper deck will be fully accessible to the worker, while beingkept in a properly warmed or refrigerated condition, as the case may be.It is proposed, in this regard, that the upper deck or food supportmeans he tilted, toward the worker, while at the same time stillafiording full and convenient access to the lower or main deck offoodtrays.

.Another object is to so form the unit that the lower and upper deckscan be provided either with a single tray, a plurality of trays, or evendouble, rows ofpans or trays, thus to increase still further thecapacity of the structure for holdingdifierent foods while maintainingthe same in a fully refrigerated condition or, perhaps, in a.

properly heated condition. 1

A further. object is to permit manufacture of the unit at very littleincrease in cost above that required for a conventional unit, While atthe same time in effect doubling the food holding capacity of the unit.This desirable result is achieved by utilizing the double-deckformation, in combination with heating or cooling means efficientlylocated for heating or cooling one or both decks.

Yet another object is to provide a serving unit which, in some forms ofthe invention, may include a heated lower deck and a refrigerated upperdeck of food-trays.

or vice versa, with this arrangement being, if desired, used to theappended claim in which the various novel features of the invention aremore particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a double-decked serving unit accordingto the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view on line 2-2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a modified construction. I

Fig. 4 is afragmentary transverse sectional view of the modificationshown in Fig. 3, taken substantially on line 44 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a second modification. Fig. 6 is anenlarged transverse sectional view substantially on line 6-6 of Fig. 5,parts being shown broken away.

be surfaced with stainless steel or with any other ma- Fig. 7 is afragmentary perspective view of still another form of the invention. 7

Referring to the drawings in detail, in the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2the double-decked unit has been generally designated at 10. It will beunderstood that with respect to certain details, the unit will be formedaccording to practices regularly followed in the field of restaurantequipment manufacture, that is, stainless steel sheathing can be .usedto provide an external surface capable of being kept in a sanitarycondition, etc.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 .and 2, there. is provideda pair of vertical side walls 12, in-' tegral or otherwise made rigidwith a front wall 14 above which is disposed a removable panel 16. Allthese would terial adapted to permit ready and efilcient cleaning of thedevice for the purpose of maintaining the same in a fully sanitarycondition.

The invention also includes a back wall 18, and a table member 20 havingat its sides and front .a depending, lipped flange 22 (see Fig. 2).

Formed in the table member 20 are rectangular, closely spaced openings24 formed in any desired number "and size. In the illustrated example,three such openings are provided, spaced uniformly from side to side ofthe unit,

and in each of these there is mounted an upwardly opening tray or panmember 26, which is adapted to receive other pans, not shown, in whichthe food would be disposed. In some embodiments, the food may heplaceddirectly in the pans or trays 26, it being mainly important thatthe tray meansbe adapted to be cleaned with maximum case, whiledisposing the foods conveniently for dispensing by the worker.

As shown in Fig. 2, roll-type cover means is provided for the severalfood trays 26, including a stationary, trans- V versely curved coversection 28 at theback of the several food compartments, and a pivotedfront cover section 30 also transversely curved through ninety degrees,adapted to be moved into telescoping relation to the stationary sectionwhen in open position.

The stationary cover section 28 is disposed against a correspondinglytransversely curved partition 40, extending in upwardly divergingrelation to the back wall 18 of the serving unit. The partition, at itsends, is integral with end walls 42 of the'upper deck portion of theserv- Patented Dec. 9, 1958.

ing unit, and supported between the ends of the walls is an elongated,insulated trough-shaped container 44, having a continuous recessextending substantially across the full length of the serving unit. Thetop of the container may be provided with a flanged cap plate 46,.ofstainless steel or the like, and refrigerating coils or tubing 48 isdisposed in close proximity to a non-corrosive liner 50 of the recess ofthe container. Various trays, notshown, can be placed in the recess,containing ditferent foods which are to be kept in a refrigeratedcondition by the tubing 48.

The foods that are to be kept warm are heated by a conventionaldry-moist heating unit generally designated 52, which may be supportedupon transversely extending angle irons 53 (Fig. 2). The unit 52 is perse conventional, and hence is illustrated somewhat diagrammatically.

The unit 52 may be sectionally constituted, to permit application ofheat to selected trays 26. Accordingly, separate controls 54 areprovided for the individual trays 26, as shown in Fig. 1.

Below the unit 52, there is provided a hollow storage space constitutinga container for any desired purpose. This may or may not berefrigerated, and in the illustrated example is not refrigerated, sothat it may hold plates, bowls, etc. The front wall 14 is provided withan opening 32, normally closed by sliding doors 34, 36.

The entire unit may be supported upon individually adjustable legs 38provided at the several corners of the device, and it will be understoodthat suitable framing would be provided for the hollow container, towhich access is provided through the doors 34, 36. The container isclosed at its top by the table portion 20, and in the container thereare supported the several heating units 52.

Drainage of the recess in the upper container 44 is provided through ableeder tube 56 (Fig. 2) opening atits outlet end below the bottom ofthe storage container.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the construction isidentical to that of Figs. 1 and 2, except for the fact that in theserving unit 10 the front wall 14 thereof has spaced openings 32*,receiving sliding drawers 36 34 instead of the sliding doors of thefirst form. Further, in this form the storage container below theheating units is insulated and contains a refrigerating means.

The sliding drawers are mounted on guides 58 extending along the sidewalls of the refrigerated, insulated storage compartment 60, theinsulation of said storage compartment being framed by upper and lowerangle iron frame members 62, 64. A refrigerating unit, conventional perse, has been designated at 66 and is mounted in back of the drawers.Drainage from the storage compartment is provided by a drain tube 68.

It thus becomes apparent that in this form, the storage compartment isrefrigerated, as well as the upper container, while the lower foodsupport compartments are heated.

In both the Fig. 1 and Fig. 3 forms, the arrangement can be reversed,with the lower food compartments refrigerated and the upper ones heated.Or, alternatively, both the upper and lower units can be heated, or boththe upper and lower units refrigerated.

Referring now to the form of the invention shown in Figs. and 6, in thisform, designated generally at 10 there are provided side walls 12 afront wall 14*, and a removable panel 16 In this form of the invention,both the upper and lower food compartments are heated, as will bereadily noted from Fig. 6. The lower food compartments have beendesignated at 26 and are heated by heating units 52 in the same manneras in the first form of the invention. The storage compartments 60" arerefrigerated as at 66 The compartments 26 in this form are closed by ahinged cover 30 but it will be understood that a cover such as shown inFig. 2 can be employed instead. Or, alternatively, the hinged cover 30can be used in either of the forms of the invention shown in Figs. 1 and3.

The table top has been designated 20 and is identical to that of thefirst form of the invention.

In this form, the elongated upper food compartment or container 50 isrecessed within a plurality of heating units 70 which per so areidentical to the units 52 Individual controls 72 are provided for theseveral units 70. It may be noted that in Fig. 5, two of the containers50 are used instead of a single elongated container, but

. this is a detail which can be varied as desired in commercialembodiments. Either the single or multiple type of food container can beemployed, in either deck, in any form of the invention.

The two containers 50 as shown in Fig. 5, are recessed in a cappingplate 46*, carried at the upper ends of the end walls 42 of the upperdeck assembly.

In all forms of the invention, the upper food container or containersare tilted forwardly, at a substantial elevation above the lower deck.The elevation is so selected as to be adapted for making foods supportedin the upper deck fully accessible to the standing worker, while at thesame time the foods contained in the lower deck of compartments aresimilarly conveniently accessible to the worker.

In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 7, the construction isidentical to that shown in Fig. 5, with the exception that hingedrefrigerator doors 34, 36 are embodied in the modified structure 10,instead of the insulated drawers 34 36 shown in Fig. 5. Otherwise, theconstruction is identical to that of Fig. 5.

In all forms of the invention, there is the common characteristicwherein a raised or elevated food support tray or trays is transverselyinclined toward the front of the device, at a substantial elevationabove the lower deck of trays. The lower deck of trays is properlylocated, substantially midway between the front and back of the devicewith the upper deck partially overlying the lower deck, being supportedupon a rear support progressively increased in width in the direction ofits top, thus to provide ample space adjacent and above the lower deckfor its cover means.

In this way, the capacity of the serving unit is almost doubled ascompared to that of conventional units heretofore in use. Further, saidcapacity is such that the doubling of the same is achieved withoutsubstantial increase in the size of the serving unit. No increase infloor area above that required by a conventional unit is involved, andcomplete and full access to either deck of food trays is obtained, dueto the particular formation and relative arrangement of the severalcomponents.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of myinvention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to theprecise constructions herein disclosed and that various changes andmodifications may be made within the scope of the invention as definedin the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by United States Letters Patent A double-decked food serving unitcomprising a storage container having a table-like cover plate formedwith at least one food-receiving recess, said container including a backwall projecting above the cover plate, a support wall extending upwardlyfrom the cover plate in back of said recess, and food support meansmounted between said walls in a position elevated above the cover plate,said unit further including cover means for at least said food-receivingrecess of the cover plate, said cover means including a transverselycurved, stationary, rear cover section disposed between the cover plateand food support means and a transversely curved, pivoted front coversection adapted to move into telescoping relation to the rear section.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS WoodDec. 8, 1885 Webber Oct. 28, 1924 Candon Jan. 28, 1930

